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The Sustainability Delivery Summit Chicago connects the entire infrastructure ecosystem to deliver resilient, future-proofed projects and positive environmental outcomes. This is the only event that takes a pragmatic approach to sustainability, helping industry leaders adapt to shifting economic and political landscapes while unlocking financial, social, and environmental benefits. Through closed-group discussions, expert intelligence, and shared experience, the Summit supports attendees in turning challenges into opportunities.

Sustainability Delivery Summit Chicago 2025 Agenda

All timings are in CDT

 

Join us on June 9th for Pre-Summit Insights & Networking

 

Highlighted sessions in darker purple boxes with white text are double length sessions

Jump to Workshops & Small Group Sessions

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13:30
  1. Jackson Gallery & Franklin Gallery
    30 mins
14:00
  1. The Hall
    85 mins
    Environment Analyst shares its latest analysis on the state of the environmental & sustainability (E&S) consulting sector
15:30
  1. The Hall
    90 mins
    This Business Leaders Forum provides an opportunity to come together in small groups to discuss the changing landscape as a result of the new Administration and explore how to navigate change and find ways to adapt and move forward. 
19:00
  1. 99th Floor
    120 mins
    For the fifth annual summit, our attendees, speakers, and sponsors are invited to a unique opportunity to enjoy drinks, canapes and networking whilst enjoying the sunset over Chicago from the 99th floor of one of America’s most iconic buildings: The Willis Tower.
08:15
  1. Jackson Gallery & Franklin Gallery
    45 mins
09:30
10:00
  1. Jackson Gallery & Franklin Gallery
    30 mins
10:30
  1. The Hall
    60 mins
    Examine how utilities plan for progression in renewables development and explore funding mechanisms for large-scale energy projects and how to mitigate the associated costs and risks to facilitate development.
  2. The Forum
    60 mins
    Quantify the benefits of clean, safe, and accessible transportation systems to prove the investment case. Learn how to demonstrate sustainable value through Transit growth and embrace a systems-based approach to realise return on investment.
  3. The Hub
    60 mins
    This session looks at developing KPIs and metrics to “sell” sustainability to the C-Suite and clients, transcending political moments: persuading clients to plan for the long term, using the correct language to influence and encourage action and embedding sustainability into "Business As Usual".
11:30
  1. The Hall
    60 mins
    This session will explore solutions to accelerate the consenting and connection process for new load, manage the huge rise in energy demand fuelled by data centers and AI and learn how digital innovation and automation can help meet power requirements.
  2. The Forum
    60 mins
    Learn from expert panellists in this discussion: Leveraging Low-Carbon, Energy-Efficient Transportation Solutions to Reduce Operating Costs & Achieve Sustainability Goals 
  3. The Hub
    60 mins
    This session looks at developing KPIs and metrics to “sell” sustainability to the C-Suite and clients, transcending political moments: persuading clients to plan for the long term, using the correct language to influence and encourage action and embedding sustainability into "Business As Usual".
12:30
  1. Networking Lunch
    Jackson Gallery & Franklin Gallery
    60 mins
13:30
  1. The Hall
    45 mins
    This session will assess the barriers to fully embracing digital innovation, explore the use of digital tools to plan, adapt, and implement climate-resilient infrastructure, explore the use of AI and examine how “hyperscalers” and the growth of data centers are reshaping the digital infrastructure landscape and impacting the transition.
  2. The Forum
    45 mins
    An exploration of what makes a project financially "attractive", funding solutions for financing, enabling, and delivering sustainable infrastructure, and collaborating effectively with partners to overcome permitting and regulatory hurdles.
  3. The Hub
    45 mins
    This session focuses on identifying levers to reduce emissions across multiple functions and the supply chain, transitioning from fossil fuels to alternative low-carbon energy supply technologies, incorporating circularity into every stage of the product lifecycle and more.
14:15
  1. The Hall
    45 mins
    This session will assess the barriers to fully embracing digital innovation, explore the use of digital tools to plan, adapt, and implement climate-resilient infrastructure, explore the use of AI and examine how “hyperscalers” and the growth of data centers are reshaping the digital infrastructure landscape and impacting the transition.
  2. The Hub
    45 mins
    This session will explore how best to integrate, review and measure sustainability objectives across every stage of a project, what investors look for in a credible pathway to decarbonization and how best to overcome barriers to mobilizing capital.
15:00
  1. The Forum
    45 mins
    Develop the business case for nature, biodiversity, and ecosystem restoration and overcome the challenges of scaling NbS and developing collaborations to accelerate the pace of implementation.
  2. The Hub
    45 mins
    The Innovator Hub will showcase innovative, emerging technologies that will accelerate the sustainable transition, the session will include short, quickfire presentations plus a chance to view the products or technologies in action.
15:45
  1. Jackson Gallery & Franklin Gallery
    30 mins
08:00
  1. Workshops & Small Group Sessions
    75 mins
    Environment Analyst Sustainability Delivery Group Partner Advisory Board meeting - by invite only for Group members
08:45
  1. Jackson Gallery & Franklin Gallery
    45 mins
09:30
  1. The Hall
    45 mins
    This session will discuss the evolving role and skill requirements of delivering sustainability in both industry and consulting with a focus on developing comprehensive workforce training, development and up- or re-skilling strategies, exploring how educational institutions are responding, and assessing how organizations can best position themselves to attract talent.
  2. The Forum
    45 mins
    This session will look at designing infrastructure that is flexible, multi-functional, and better able to recover rapidly from disruption and adapting existing assets to improve resilience through innovative technologies and collaborative partnerships.
  3. The Hub
    45 mins
    Identify where carbon and GHG emissions can be reduced at each stage of your direct operations and the supply chain, engage your supply chain and optimize partnerships to facilitate sustainable sourcing, product innovation and emissions reduction.
10:15
  1. Jackson Gallery & Franklin Gallery
    30 mins
10:45
  1. The Hall
    45 mins
    This session will explore how the challenges associated with a clean transition can be managed, enabling historic energy communities to build resilience, improve human health and environmental outcomes and achieve economic diversification, equity, and job creation, and support opportunities for wealth creation amongst communities.
  2. The Forum
    45 mins
    Explore how to develop a strategy for identifying, assessing, and managing contaminant sources and pathways, integrate PFAS mitigation into corporate and sustainability goals, understand where PFAS might be in the value chain: conducting due diligence and understanding your vulnerabilities and more.
  3. The Hub
    45 mins
    This Forum is a closed-group, invite-only session enabling Environment Analyst members  the opportunity to reflect on the discussions that have taken place over the past 2 days and explore how the consulting sector can respond to shifting regulatory, funding and environmental priorities.
11:30
  1. The Hall
    45 mins
    Session focused on achieving a holistic approach to remediating legacy site contamination and restoring sites, involving and empowering communities in transforming their space and finding ways to increase the value of a site so it is an asset for all stakeholders.
  2. The Forum
    45 mins
    Many critical assets within a city-wide infrastructure system, particularly for energy or water provision, cannot be taken off-line for upgrading or retrofitting resilience and climate efficiency. This panel will discuss how a workable infrastructure asset upgrade and management plan can be developed to embed sustainability objectives into assets whilst continuing to offer a reliable and cost-effective service.
  3. The Hub
    45 mins
    This Forum is a closed-group, invite-only session enabling Environment Analyst members  the opportunity to reflect on the discussions that have taken place over the past 2 days and explore how the consulting sector can respond to shifting regulatory, funding and environmental priorities.
13:00
  1. Jackson Gallery & Franklin Gallery
    60 mins

 

Workshops and Small Group Sessions

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13:30
  1. Wacker Studio
    60 mins
    A practical approach to integrating sustainability assessment metrics into project planning, design, and construction to enable sustainable, resilient, and equitable infrastructure Addressing barriers to mobilising capital for nature-baseddelivery.
14:45
  1. Workshops & Small Group Sessions
    60 mins
    Learn about the principles and framework of the new LEED v5 rating systems and how they position buildings to be part of the solutions for critical environmental and social imperatives.
09:30
  1. Wacker Studio
    45 mins
    Look at methods to effectively integrate sustainability metrics into the whole project life-cycle
10:45
  1. Wacker Studio
    45 mins
    Bentley Systems host workshop: Leveraging AI, Geospatial & Digital Twin Tools for Climate-Resilient Infrastructure
11:30
  1. Wacker Studio
    45 mins
    This workshop will look at understanding the interactions between different mandatory sustainability regulations (eg CSRD,  Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act) and their applicability to your business, developing strategies for reporting and disclosure and setting realistic targets.